Help with in-wall speakers

[cfriedberg]

I am new to this board and not an audiophile by any means. I am building a home and have had my home pre-wired for audio and video. I am now trying to figure out which in-wall speakers to purchase. I have spoken with a number of home theater companies and I seem to get a different answer from everyone! I am looking for solid quality speakers without breaking the bank. I realize this doesn't provide forum members with a lot of info but hopefully some of you can help me focus in on what to ask and ultimately guide me as to which brand and model of speakers I should purchase.

Here is my homes pre-wiring setup. unless otherwise noted, the wiring is in the walls, not the ceiling.

1. Family room. Left, Right front and rear speakers plus center channel and woofer
2. Master Bed - left and right front
3. Master Bath, 2 ceiling
4. Dining Room, 2 ceiling.
5. Kids play/tv room, left and right
6. My study, left and right
7. Outdoor, left and right.

Any guidance at all is greatly appreciated. Also, obviously I am happy to answer any follow up questions that may help forum members guide me down the right path.

 

[Resident Loser]

Never really...

...did it but, if'n i wuz a mind to do so, I'd find a brand that manufactures both wall and freestanders/bookshelves...Most, if not all mfrs. tend to have a particular "sonic signature" so...ergo...there's a good chance if it like their free-range stuff, I'll have a better shot at liking their captive offerings...

Of course, placement and room effects have to be considered but...

jimHJJ(...gotta' start somewhere...)

 

[Resident Loser]

And then...

...the amplification...all playing the same program or various zones/sources...is any of this for serious listening or more for a muzak-like sonic ambiance? Some of the more well-known names are Russound and Niles, although almost any piece of electronic gear can be used.

At some locations you may just prefer the control afforded by a mini/executive-type, stand alone system from Denon or Onkyo...

Different HT "specialists" tout different brands...IMO it's to thwart the consumer from shopping around and doing any real price comparison...much like the limited distributorship policies of the high-end audio marketeers...

What, if anything, has been suggested? Built-ins can go a number of different ways...

jimHJJ(...it's a whole 'nother world...)

 

[AVRat]

This is a little difficult to answer simply in general terms, but I’ll try.

For the in-ceilings, I’m guessing more for atmosphere, any good quality speaker will work. $150+/pr. should work well.

Are the L/R in-walls only being used for stereo/2-channel listening, or 2-channel/phantom center for TV viewing also? There are some speakers that offer pivoting drivers for some flexibility.

In the HT a couple questions.
1.) How is the center oriented, horizontally or vertically? If horizontal, how much space is available? If in a 16” stud bay, a 2-way speaker laid sideways may be required and will work fine.
2.) Where will the surrounds be located in reference to the listening position? Do you prefer mono- or multi-pole type surrounds?
3.) Will the subwoofer be in-wall/room? In room is preferred.

For outdoor speakers, many quality manufacturers to choose from.

Some manufacturers with flexible options and decent to moderate pricing: Boston Acoustics, Definitive Technology, Klipsch, Paradigm, Polk, Sonance($), SpeakerCraft($).

 

[majorloser]

...Most, if not all mfrs. tend to have a particular "sonic signature" so...ergo....

Ergo.........as in Canton?

Canton does make some mighty fine speakers; in-walls, in-ceiling, bookshelves and towers.

www.canton.de/en-home.htm

 

[BMXTRIX]

I will make some SNAP recommendations - then ask you a bunch of questions.

FYI: I am linking to a company I have gone with for purchases ONCE before in my life and had good luck with. I have no ties to them and if you find something better/cheaper I recommend you go that route. But, I am just using them to give you a very good price level for comparison. Likely you have seen much higher pricing on inferior products.

1. Family room. Left, Right front and rear speakers plus center channel and woofer

http://audiophileliquidator.com/product_info.php?products_id=1460&osCsid=c7519ec6eab3c2be03eda37e16caa5cc
For all speakers - this is the critical listening area and on a budget, this price is pretty much impossible to beat for 3-way in-wall speakers.
I am ASSUMING your subwoofer is NOT in-wall? If it is, plan to spend a fair bit of change to get it connected properly!

2. Master Bed - left and right front

A good listening area deserves decent speakers...
http://audiophileliquidator.com/product_info.php?products_id=53&osCsid=c7519ec6eab3c2be03eda37e16caa5cc

3. Master Bath, 2 ceiling

One of the worst listening areas possible...
http://audiophileliquidator.com/product_info.php?products_id=49&osCsid=c7519ec6eab3c2be03eda37e16caa5cc

4. Dining Room, 2 ceiling.

Middle of the road:
http://audiophileliquidator.com/product_info.php?products_id=48&osCsid=c7519ec6eab3c2be03eda37e16caa5cc

5. Kids play/tv room, left and right

http://audiophileliquidator.com/product_info.php?products_id=55&osCsid=c7519ec6eab3c2be03eda37e16caa5cc

6. My study, left and right

http://audiophileliquidator.com/product_info.php?products_id=55&osCsid=c7519ec6eab3c2be03eda37e16caa5cc

7. Outdoor, left and right.

Where are these located? I would use an 'outdoor speaker' such as these...
http://audiophileliquidator.com/product_info.php?products_id=254&osCsid=c7519ec6eab3c2be03eda37e16caa5cc

You still have to consider how you are going to distribute audio, control sources, select sources, and power all the speakers in all of these locations. While some newer A/V receivers offer two and sometimes three zones, their built in amplifaction really isn't designed for it and you will be better served by a good external amp, preferably one that individually sends power to each pair of speakers throughout the home.

Like this:
http://audiophileliquidator.com/product_info.php?products_id=201&osCsid=c7519ec6eab3c2be03eda37e16caa5cc

There are other companies out there that have top notch product including Niles and Speakercraft as well as a ton of other speaker companies, but I'm hard pressed to say that any of them are really a lot better than others. There are also CHEAP companies that are nothing more than that. They make cheap stuff that doesn't sound that great and is very inexpensive. But, on eBay you may be happy picking up some AudioSource speakers that sound alright for the money. I use them in my garage and don't complain.

In your family room, you MUST make sure that wiring for your subwoofer has been done correctly. What type of speaker and what type of wiring is in place for that speaker?

Is your home still under construction (pre-drywall) or is it almost done?

Do you have a realistic budget and do you have any info on quotes you have already received?

Do you plan to do all the speaker installs yourself or let someone else do it?

I strongly recommend, that in areas where insultion is going up that you may want to try to get into your home after drywall and BEFORE insulation goes in place and install all the speakers. You can make a mess on your uncarpeted floors and then they will put insulation in around the speakers. Speaker trim rings can also help with this process.

Your budget matters a great deal. Some people consider $150.00 a speaker to be way to much, even though that tends to be closer to the bottom of the spectrum for in-wall speakers. If your budget for all the speakers (18 in total!) is less than $2,000 then you may have some issues. I would think about $3,000 is the minimum you should be looking to spend if doing the work yourself... and buying online! MSRP and retail stores will jack pricing up another 30% or more at least.